Washington Democrat 2-19-1921
Building Costing
$100,000
Formally Set Apart
for school
purposes
Yesterday was a great day for the consolidated school district of Ainsworth, for it was the day set apart for the dedication of the splendid structure just completed by the district at a cost of $100,000.
Ainsworth now has one of the finest school equipments of any town of its size in the state and the building would be a credit to a much larger community. It has all the modern conveniences and furnishes the community with a plant capable of carrying on the most up to date school work.
The people of Ainsworth and surrounding county are to be congratulated on their progressiveness and the interest they take in providing educational facilities for the boys and girls.
Bonds Voted Year Ago
Bonds amounting to $90,000 were voted a year ago, following the creation of the consolidated district which includes the town and the adjoining former country districts. Recently additional bonds of $10,000 were voted to complete the building and equipment.
The consolidated school has 220 pupils of whom sixty are in the high school.
The dimensions of the building is 110 by 80 feet. It is two stories high with basement and sub-basement. The sub-basement contains the gymnasium with playing space sixty by sixty feet in the clear, furnace room and dressing rooms with showers for both boys and girls.
The basement contains the manual training and domestic science departments and the balcony with seating space for 150 people.
On the first floor are five rooms for the grades each provided with cloak rooms, Red Cross room and toilets for boys and girls.
The upper floor has the superintendent and principal’s office, classrooms and an assembly for seating 300 people and toilet rooms.
Steel lockers are furnished for each student. The building is of brick construction and practically fireproof. It is heated by the Moline system which provides for automatic ventilation with a current of fresh air in constant circulation.
K. Beal is president of the Ainsworth board of education which was in general charge of this great improvement. H. W. Van Horn is secretary and A. E. Sands , treasurer --------(broken piece line and chunk missing)—Robertson referred -----the individual----the boys and girls.
Supt. W. C. Harding of Washington school system gave a brief reply to Mr. Robertson’s address. He said that in his opinion a school district and a school plant like Ainsworth allow a superintendent an ideal pertaining to do effective schoolwork. He stated his belief that the people of the Ainsworth district had builded (sic) better than they knew and the influence of their school would spread and be a great influence to progressive education. He said that Ainsworth has an ideal school place.
A.R. Miller of Washington delivered the closing address of the afternoon. It was a characteristic Miller talk and was immensely enjoyed by the large audience who were kept in the good humor Mr. Miller induces when he speaks. He even burst into song occasionally. He said that it was twenty six years ago that he last attended a school meeting at Ainsworth all that he remembers about that occasion is when is what he had to eat at one of the Ainsworth homes. He complimented the Ainsworth people on their magnificent building. He favors consolidation and believes school taxes should be high enough to provide the best of educational facilities . The hope of the republic is in its schools and its churches, he declared and these two forces carrying on in a united war against ignorance and evil.
The Evening Program
Yesterday evening the auditorium was filled. President K. Beal of the school board presided and after the invocation by Rev. E. Riddington of the Baptist church introduced Miss Kathryn Montgomery, county superintendent of schools who brought greetings of the school children from all corners of the county. Miss Montgomery said that the other school districts of the county were watching Ainsworth to see how they succeed with their school plant.
Mr. Beal then introduced his cousin, a. L. Beal, superintendent of the schools of Henderson county, Illinois who stated that consolidation has not hit Illinois very hard and he came over for the purpose of studying the proposition at first hand.
Miss Elizabeth McBlain and Wilma Miller sang a duet “Ainsworth High School”, the words which were written by Earle D. ? and the music by Miss Miller. The girls sang well accompanied by the orchestra.
Dr. C. W. Flint, president of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa delivered the address at the evening dedication meeting. He spoke eloquently and impressively on educational lines, emphasizing he need for higher education and urging boys and girls not to drop out of grade school but to keep on to high school and college. He said that it has been found that of each 1000 students that started in the public schools, only 111 go thru the full …..rest of article missing.